OFFSHORE ENERGY
Offshore
energy assets are a highly vulnerable feature for any power or production
business. Security and safety leaders don’t need to have to watch the news from
the Middle East or Black Sea to understand their vulnerability. Even in the
quieter parts of the world, protestors, nature itself through rogue waves or
climate change effects, as well as typical operational events all pose a risk.
Add
in mechanical wear and tear, surges, human error or accidental collisions; all
are part of the growing threat roster for risk managers and business leaders.
Smart video security systems, the evolution of traditional CCTV, can play their
role as part of a layered and proactive monitoring and reporting system.
Smart
video adds data insights to physical remote security
Primarily,
whatever the infrastructure, from offshore wind farms to oil rigs and their
support platforms, up to innovations like seawater-cooled data centers and
science platforms, visual security and protection provide the best way to
assess a problem.
Extreme
weather-proof, they can survive and report in all conditions, whether they are
monitoring bridges, tunnels, helicopter landing pads or environmentally
sensitive installations.
Through
the likes of oil rig cameras, operators and security teams can get a better
idea, in many cases, of why an alarm or alert has been triggered. The smart
camera system can send alerts ahead of other systems, providing faster insights
into the cause and options for resolution.
From
cameras able to spot and identify smoke, fires, chemical leaks, malfunctions
and other hazards, the smart camera system is always monitoring, removing the
need for manual oversight until there is a specific incident. Even then, smart
systems can provide suggested resolutions based on past events, reducing the
time to resolution.
And
in worst-case scenario events, cameras can track the workers on site and ensure
they are all safely evacuated, adding a key benefit to health and safety
operators, likely acting under great stress. Even then, oil rig cameras are
resilient and explosion-proof to keep providing oversight in a major incident.
Monitoring
around your offshore platform
Taking
a broader approach, smart cameras can also protect remote platforms from
unwanted human, natural or other drifting visitors. They can combine with naval
radars, thermal cameras and other assets to track vessels in the area,
dangerous drifting objects and other threats that could damage an installation.
As
well as prompt notification, they can provide key evidence for insurance claims
and any criminal acts. Or if close to shore, the company can dispatch the
appropriate team to deal with the issue directly with an immediate response.
Supporting
equipment health offshore
Day
or night and in all weather conditions, smart cameras can adjust and continue
providing coverage. Taking a cue from
their onshore producer counterparts, many offshore businesses now use cameras
as part of the smart production processes. Cameras can help monitor the cause
of vibrations, temperature changes, and how workers interact with plant and
machinery to provide a constant safety and process improvement overview.
Linking
to alerts from the plant’s own monitoring systems, cameras can provide an
overview of any recent external activity that could have initiated the issue
and help resolve a problem before it becomes critical.
Whatever
the platform and operation, smart cameras reduce the need for manual
monitoring, and sites can have large numbers of cameras, all being monitored
automatically around the clock. Alerts to management and operators can keep all
necessary stakeholders in the loop depending on the situation, with all able to
review footage to decide on further actions.
Backing
up static cameras, offshore producers and operators can also deploy aerial,
surface or subsurface drones to add another layer of security and protection.
These are especially valuable when it comes to securing major assets like
undersea cables, nearshore installations that see heavy traffic and those in
contested waters or where political unrest is likely.
Having
flexible and total physical oversight of any offshore gas or oil rig, or
expansive windfarm provides the operator with many advantages. They have more
options to respond to changing conditions and protect workers and assets.
Operators
can respond faster, and management can prepare for strategic actions, the PR
impact of any incident and broader responses as needed, all necessary in today’s
highly changeable operating environment.